Arthur Sellers Bulletin Archive
We will be taking your orders for the superb range of well-priced, award-winning bubbly produced by Champagne Forget-Brimont to the LCBO on Friday, August 23rd. Don’t miss this year’s opportunity to acquire some of these very fine, very well-priced wines including the new, limited production 1er Cru Grand Rosé.
We had a Member request the non-vintage Rosé Brut Grand Cru. Thus, it is with pleasure that we have added this splendid elixir to our current offering.
Champagne Forget-Brimont
The eighteen hectares of Forget-Brimont vineyards are located in the terroirs of the Montagne de Reims (Mailly-Champagne and Verzenay - Grands Crus Pinot Noir), Ludes and Rilly-la-Montagne (Premier Cru Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay). Michel Forget also buys Grand Cru Chardonnay for blending. Each year over 180,000 bottles leave the Forget cellars to help celebrate victories and assuage defeats for champagne fanciers around the world.
No question about it, the Forget-Brimont champagnes are all terrific. As well they should be. First, all the grapes come from premier and grand cru vineyards. They use only cuvées, the first and best juice that flows from the press. The taille, the coarser juice that comes later is sold to others. Michel Forget personally oversees absolutely every aspect of the creation of these meticulously crafted champagnes.
The Champagnes on Offer
We are thrilled to bring back the very popular Champagne Forget-Brimont 1er Cru Rosé Brut that has sold over twenty-thousand bottles at the SAQ in Québec (currently $51.50 the bottle compared to only $47 at your venerable wine club).
We also have four other delicious Champagnes available along with the ever-popular ‘Champagne Sampler’. All of them contain 12.0 percent alcohol by volume and come in convenient six-bottle cases. The Premier Cru Champagnes contain more than twenty-five percent Grand Cru juice. While drinking very well now, they will develop additional depth and character with an additional year or two in the cellar.
Champagne Forget-Brimont 1er Cru Brut – 12.0% Alc./Vol. - $43/$258 case of 6 Believe me, this is a great wine for a great price. The grape composition is 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay (all Premier and Grand Cru). A pale golden colour with a delicate nose of green apples, white flowers and hazelnuts, it has a very fresh, deep structure and is well-balanced with good length. What a great way to start any party and also a wonderful accompaniment for white meats.
Here’s what Alison Napjus says about it in the December 31, 2012 edition of the ‘Wine Spectator’ – “Firm and focused by racy acidity, this is lightly chalky in texture, offering tightly knit flavors of ripe Gala apple, anise, black currant candy, fresh ginger and biscuit. Fine balance. Drink now through 2018. 16,500 cases made. $63 (wow, note the price!!) – 91/100”. Robert Parker rated it a 90!
And, it costs much less than you would pay for regular mass-marketed Champagne. Here are some examples of the prices of ordinary Champagne currently available at the LCBO (not a 1er Cru in the bunch, let alone one with Grand Cru juice as well):
Ain’t it wonderful when you don’t have to support all those expensive advertising campaigns? And, if you’d like to try right now, you can find it at Le Sélect Bistro in Toronto. Latch on to this stellar Champagne value now.
Champagne Forget-Brimont 1er Cru Rosé Brut - 12.0% Alc./Vol. - $47/$282 case of 6 This is the Champagne for those most festive occasions. It is also an ideal apéritif. Its rose colour comes from adding red wine from Brouzy to the Forget-Brimont reserve cuvée. The grape composition is 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay (Premier and Grand Cru grapes only!). In the glass, the beautiful light orange, pink colour provides an ideal backdrop for its steady stream of tiny bubbles.
Alison Napjus has this to say about it in the November 15, 2012 edition of the ‘Wine Spectator’ – “This offers lovely balance, a finely detailed texture and delicate acidity that focuses subtle flavors of ripe plum, wild strawberries, and melon fruit. A hint of almond-tinged financier and mineral notes add complexity. Drink now through 2015. 5,000 cases made. $67 (note, our price is $20 less!!) - 91/100”
At least $25 less than anything comparable at the LCBO, it is a big hit with our Members. Click here to order.
Champagne Forget-Brimont Rosé Grand Cru – 12% Alc./Vol. - $59/ $354 case of 6 It doesn't get any more festive or refined! This Grand Cru Rosé is made from 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Chardonnay; the finest grapes from Mailly and Verzenay. . As one would expect from such classy Champagne, the bubbles are tiny and explosive. It is a beautiful salmon pink colour with a nose of strawberries, apples and raspberries. In the mouth these flavours persist and are joined by notes of black and red currants and citrus fruits. The finish is fresh and elegant. There is a perfect harmony between the richness of the Pinot Noir and the finesse of the Chardonnay. The Grand Cru Rosé Champagne goes well with many, many things, but is best by itself at the start of a serious party. Order your festive potion now.
The above prices include a modest handling fee.
Coming Next from Arthur’s Cellar – But Not For a While … We’re off to the Dordogne and Provence for Hélène’s 2013 tours for all of September. With two weeks off between the tours I will have lots and lots of yummy opportunities to visit our wineries and diligently sample their latest creations, just for you!
I’ve decided to suspend our wine club offers till we return. This brief hiatus will give you the opportunity to deplete your cellars, thereby making room for the wondrous wines to come. Among many others, we will feature the rhyming trio from the Southern Rhône – Sabon, Palon and Cayron. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer and drink well!
These superb, well-priced Champagnes are just perfect for weddings and other special occasions or any time one feels like a treat. Know anybody planning a big event or who is a Champagne fancier? If you do, please pass this note on to them.
Many thanks and cheers,
Jim & Hélène jaswalker@arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca www.arthursellers.com www.ofrance.ca
